Who are the Mentor Mothers? Meet two courageous women, both living with HIV/AIDS themselves, working for mothers2mothers and mentoring expectant and new mothers on how to keep themselves healthy and their babies HIV-free. Matseliso, a mother of three from Lesotho, and Jackline, a mother of one from Kenya, recently participated in a special communications training supported by Johnson & Johnson, to empower them to become global advocates for HIV-positive women and the Mentor Mother model. Johnson & Johnson is a long-time partner of mothers2mothers. To learn more, visit m2m.org or follow @m2mtweets.

Jackline’s Story

Like many women in my small rural community, I discovered mothers2mothers shortly after learning that I was pregnant. During my first prenatal care visit at a health clinic in Kenya, I tested positive for HIV. After the initial shock, I remember crying very bitterly. I just couldn’t believe the results were mine – it was as if my life was ending that day, and I was unsure of what the diagnosis meant for my baby.

Right away, I was referred to mothers2mothers at the clinic where I received prenatal care. I joined a support group led by local Mentor Mothers – other women who had gone through the same experience and are specially trained to show women with HIV that they can keep their babies free from the virus.

Those Mentors also helped me disclose my HIV status to my husband, which I found to be the most difficult barrier to overcome. I see women face the same problem every day. Due to the stigma and discrimination surrounding HIV, women who tell their families about their diagnosis often risk rejection from their homes, and could be left unable to provide for themselves and their children. For women living in poverty, the stigma of HIV can be especially damaging because they are unable to adhere to medication or make the long trip to a health care center without being noticed.

Fortunately, mothers2mothers was there to help me disclose my status, stay healthy during my pregnancy and deliver a baby free from HIV. As a mothers2mothers employee myself now, I work to diffuse stigma in my community, acting as a role model for other women living with HIV. We bring them together so that they can see that they are not really alone, and they can share both their challenges and their happiness with one another.

Matseliso’s Story

I remember very clearly when mothers2mothers first opened a support group in my town. Before mothers2mothers, I remember many babies being born with HIV – now, it hardly ever happens.

mothers2mothers works to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV by employing mothers with HIV to teach other women how to keep their babies healthy. This system, called the Mentor Mother model, has allowed our organization to reach 20 percent of all HIV-positive pregnant women in the world.

I am a m2m Site Coordinator at a local clinic, and provide education and support to new mothers and pregnant women who, like me, are living with HIV. The doctors and nurses here are so busy that without Mentor Mothers, no one at the clinic would be available to counsel a young woman who has just been diagnosed with HIV.

Every day, our Mentors teach other women about infant feeding options, medication, safer sex, and fighting stigma by disclosing their status to family members. Every woman who comes to my office shares some part of the experiences that I had. I tell them that all three of my children are HIV-negative, and theirs can be, too.

At my clinic, I have noticed that women face particularly strong stigma and discrimination from their in-laws. It can be difficult for a woman to tell her husband’s parents that she has HIV, because they often assume that she brought the disease into the marriage. If she can’t tell her family, she is less likely to seek care for herself and her baby. To help fight misconceptions like this in the community, our clinic staff began providing HIV education to patients who come to the clinic for hypertension and diabetes workshops. This approach has helped us educate the older members of the family about testing and treatment, and to show them why the stigma is harmful. When I see in-laws coming to collect milk for their grandchildren, I know I am one step closer to accomplishing my mission.

mothers2mothers was recently profiled on Good Morning America as part of the Million Moms Challenge, a partnership between ABC News and the United Nations Foundation that aims to connect mothers around the world. For the first 100,000 people to join the Million Moms Challenge, Johnson & Johnson will donate $100,000 to help support maternal and child health.

This event brought together community members and those who benefit from Whitman-Walker Health’s services to step back and reflect on 30 years of the HIV/AIDS virus and increase public awareness of the epidemic. As we gathered around Dupont circle with candles in hand, we heard inspirational words from Whitman-Walker’s Executive Director Dan Blanchon, an HIV+ community member, Mayor Vincent C. Gray, and a local pastor, who all stressed the importance of a comprehensive approach that includes involvement from the entire global community to continue the progress made in the fight against HIV over the last decade.

Their words echoed those of President Barack Obama during his announcements at the AIDS panel earlier in the day. In order to produce an AIDS free generation by 2015, we need government, nonprofits, faith communities, and individuals to work together to achieve the goals we have put in place. From high-level events to a community standing together in memory of those who have been claimed by HIV/AIDS, I think each event is important in spreading the message of awareness and action. At the vigil, I appreciated the opportunity to gather with others in contemplative silence to realize the impact HIV/AIDS has had on the global community and honor those who have been instrumental in the success we have achieved up to this point. As Blanchon was quick to point out though, there is still much to be done, and it’s time to continue the fight and strengthen our commitments to making the end of AIDS a reality.

-Carolyn Worthge

A new report out this morning from UNAIDS paints a mixed picture on the progress we’ve made in the fight against AIDS. We’ve added nearly 1.4 million HIV-positive people to treatment in the last year—an incredible feat that feels even more significant with the new understanding that treatment also serves as prevention in as many as 96 percent of cases. We’ve also learned that in 22 sub-Saharan countries, HIV incidence declined by more than 25 percent between 2001 and 2009 — including in some of the world’s largest epidemics. Some countries such as Botswana, Rwanda, and Namibia have achieved Universal Access to treatment (80 percent or greater coverage), and Zambia and Swaziland are close behind. There are real success stories on AIDS coming out of the African continent that we should be sharing widely.

Unfortunately, this new report also shows that we are not doing enough (or well enough) on prevention. Last year, the number of new HIV infections globally held relatively flat at 2.7 million; new infections in sub-Saharan Africa rose slightly from 1.8 to 1.9 million; and the percentage of HIV-positive pregnant women receiving improved treatment regimens to prevent transmission to their babies hovers at 48 percent. This is unacceptable. We will not be able to bend the curve of the pandemic and see the beginning of the end of AIDS without significant reductions in new infections, both in children and in adults.

Data can sometimes be dry, but this type of update should motivate us to act and to ask our leaders to do more. With World AIDS Day less than two weeks away, the time is now. We know that the White House is in the final stages of considering what they will say on December 1st, and they need to know that you are paying attention and want to see real leadership from them.

If you can find 2 minutes in your day today, please call the White House. Ask them for a bold, new plan on global AIDS this World AIDS Day — a plan that will increase the number of people on treatment, support the Global Fund, drastically reduce new HIV infections, and ensure that no child is needlessly born with HIV. If the White House can deliver this plan, and if other countries can step up in tandem, we feel confident that we can achieve the beginning of the end of AIDS together.

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Todd with Mayor Flynn in 1992

How did you first get involved in AIDS work?
T: In the mid-1980s, I was living in Boston and coming out as a gay man. It was like sticking your head out of the burrow, only to find out that you’d come up in a shooting range. I got involved in ACT UP Boston, helping them with a campaign to get affordable housing for people disabled by AIDS and also doing (illegal) needle exchange on the streets. I made a lot of friends, some of whom were losing the battle against AIDS, so for me the fight was about my community, my friends, and my life.

E: I get this question a lot, because growing up as a white, heterosexual female from suburban Pittsburgh, I really wasn’t connected to AIDS in any immediate way. But I’ve always been bothered by issues of inequity around the world, and by the time I arrived in DC for college, I wanted to try something different. I went to a Student Global AIDS Campaign (SGAC) meeting on a whim, and got hooked on AIDS activism pretty quickly.

Outside of ONE, in what ways have you worked on the issue since you got started?
T: I ended up joining with some friends to start up a non-profit to help get more affordable housing programs for people living with HIV, many of whom were also struggling with addiction. That was about seven years. I also helped advocate in DC for more AIDS funding through the Ryan White CARE Act, which is the primary US domestic program for HIV services. In 1997, I was asked by fellow advocate Sandy Thurman to join her in the White House Office of National AIDS Policy. Trust me, it was a bit of a leap, but a truly amazing experience. We helped start the first presidential effort on international AIDS, and boosted funds for domestic HIV prevention.

E: I certainly don’t have Todd’s resume, but my four years with SGAC were busy: We tabled on campus, led lobbying visits around PEPFAR and the Global Fund, and organized the largest student AIDS march to-date in DC. After learning about AIDS in the classroom, I spent time in Kenya working with an incredible girls’ home comprised mostly of AIDS orphans, where I saw the devastation of AIDS first-hand. Since then, I’ve continued to travel to Africa and see AIDS programs at work in the field. Over the years, I’ve also volunteered with some great DC-based organizations, including a needle exchange program, Food and Friends, and Metro TeenAIDS.

What’s the craziest thing you’ve done in the name of AIDS activism?
E: Along with a bunch of my fellow SGACers, I was arrested in front of the White House in 2007 as a (successful) (peaceful) effort to draw media attention to the local, national, and global fights against AIDS and to prod the US government to do more and better. Admittedly, it was only the equivalent of a parking ticket, but it was a pretty bold way to send a message that American students were paying attention and were demanding real leadership from the administration.

T: ACT UP was doing a campaign to get then Boston Mayor Ray Flynn to do an AIDS housing initiative. To get press attention, we protested outside of the big department store when Flynn was inside touring the children’s Santa wonderland. We didn’t want to get too edgy, so we decided to sing Christmas Carols with slightly altered lyrics: “O Come Let Us Annoy Him!” That was my favorite. Flynn actually came out and clapped for us. He was cool.

What are you most excited about for the future of the fight against AIDS and why?
T: There’s great new information on how getting HIV-positive people on treatment reduces substantially the risk of them passing the virus on. And using AIDS drugs in gel form was shown to reduce the risk for women getting infected sexually, though there’s more research needed. This means that treatment and prevention are becoming much more closely linked. We also know male circumcision has a big preventive benefit. So there are exciting new tools that can help. It’s just a matter of maintaining political commitment and keeping the money flowing.

E: I’m most hopeful about the promise of microbicides—products that allow women to control their own health and protect against AIDS even if their partners are unwilling to use condoms. We’re still a few years out, but the recent Caprisa trials signal that these products will help empower women and keep them healthy, and to me that’s really exciting.

What have you learned that you can share with ONE members as we mark this anniversary?
E: There’s a lot of things that my generation takes for granted—AIDS is no longer a ready death sentence, and the issue is talked about openly by Sesame Street characters and politicians alike—so it’s important to reflect on how far we’ve come. I’ve been lucky enough to meet with courageous HIV-positive people who are alive today in part because AIDS activists before me have pushed governments to make treatment available—and their stories motivate me to continue on in the fight.

T: Your voice counts. When I first came to DC as an advocate, all the Congressional people I talked to were very sympathetic but all talked about how tough it was to get new money given the economy. I didn’t know better. So I was leaving one of these meetings and happened by some big hearing that was going on – lots of people and TV cameras. I asked someone what it was, and they said it was a hearing on the Savings and Loan Bailout –- another $70 billion was being approved to help keep banks afloat (sound familiar??) So I learned right then that there’s a lot of money around when there’s political will. That’s why I love ONE Campaign. We keep fighting for what’s right, and don’t take “we’re out of money” for an answer.

Check it out:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Watch:

This World AIDS Day, we have much to celebrate—millions more on antiretroviral treatment, decreasing stigma, and increasing global partnership to fight this disease. The over 5 million people now getting AIDS drugs in the developing world are Living Proof that investments can translate into lives saved. Watch this video to get a personal version of hope.

A special nod to former President George W. Bush, who provided great leadership on AIDS during his tenure – he makes a forceful argument for continuing that work in an op ed published today. And a salute to our friends at (RED), who’ve helped raise awareness around the world – and a lot of money for the Global Fund. US support for AIDS, through both the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief and the Global Fund, has been a great story of success.

Yet amidst all of this progress, there were 2.9 million new HIV infections in 2009, drastically outpacing the 1.2 million newly placed on treatment. If we hope to turn the tide of the AIDS epidemic, we need to do more to prevent the spread of HIV – especially by committing to No Child Born with HIV.

We encourage you to continue the fight, to find as many ways as you can to be a part of the end of AIDS. And read more about World AIDS Day 2010 at our Featured Series here.

This Wednesday is World AIDS Day, and while ONE members across the country are already championing the issue, we want to send out some exciting news from our sister organization, (RED).

On Wednesday, (RED) is illuminating the world’s most iconic landmarks to raise awareness for World AIDS Day. Last year, nearly half a million babies were born with HIV — but with access to medication, a pregnant mother can stop the transmission of HIV to her child.

With continued funding to organizations like the Global Fund, the number of babies born with HIV could be zero by 2015, creating the first AIDS-free generation in 30 years.

This World AIDS Day, cities around the world will cast red light on their most distinctive landmarks. From the Sydney Opera House to Paris’ City Hall and Fountains, from the London Eye to Cape Town’s Table Mountain, from Niagara Falls to the Seattle Space Needle, the world will turn (RED) to highlight one goal — we can have a world where virtually no child is born with HIV by 2015.

We’re asking people to meet up at their local landmark to watch and discuss how we can help create the first AIDS-free generation. Go to Meetup.com to find an event near you, and if you can’t find an existing meet-up to join, you can always create your own and help put your city on the map!

Check out our full list of participating cities across the globe below –- and no matter where you are this World AIDS Day, we hope to see you there! Read more about this spectacular event on (RED)’s blog.

United States:

California
o Long Beach (Convention Center, Hyatt (Wall), Shoreline Square, Terrace Theater Fountains, Promenade, Gazebo at Shoreline Drive, Light House, Renaissance (Wall Tree), Pine Street)
o Los Angeles (Pylons at LAX)
o Oakland (City Hall)
o San Francisco (City Hall)

Colorado
o Steamboat Springs (Old Routt County Courthouse)

Florida
o Miami (Miami Tower, Old City Hall, MOCA Plaza)
o Orlando (the Amway Center Tower)

Georgia
o Atlanta (City Hall, Georgia World Congress Center-International Plaza Towers, Georgia Dome, Centennial Olympic Park, World of Coca Cola)

Illinois
o Chicago (Wrigley Building-top of the building & tower)
o Schaumburg (Town Square Clock Tower)
o Urbana

Maryland
o Baltimore (Washington Monument in Baltimore)

Massachusetts
o Boston (Zakim Bridge)

Missouri
o St. Louis (Civil Courts Building)

Nevada
o Las Vegas (MEET Las Vegas venue & Lou Ruvo Center (Frank Gehry’s Keep Memory Alive Building))

New Mexico
o Santa Fe

New York
o Brooklyn (Brooklyn Borough Hall)
o New York (Empire State Building, The Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, JFK Control Tower, New York Stock Exchange)
o Niagara Falls (Niagara Falls)

Ohio
o Cincinnati (Museum Center (formerly the Union Terminal) and Fountain Square)
o Cleveland (The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame)
o Columbus (City Hall & Columbus Public Health Building)

Oregon
o Portland (Morrison Bridge)

Pennsylvania
o Philadelphia (Boat House Row)
o Pittsburgh (the needle on the Highmark Building)

Rhode Island
o Providence (City Hall, 1 Financial Plaza, 111 Westminster Street (Bank of America Building), Blue Cross/Blue Shield Building, Bank of America City Center, the State House, GTech Building, the Biltmore Hotel)

South Carolina
o Greenville (Furman University Bell Tower)

Texas
o Fort Worth (Lancaster Ave lights)
o Houston (City Hall)

Tennessee
o Nashville (the Courthouse & Deaderick Street)

Utah
o Salt Lake City (City & County Building)

Virginia
o Richmond (Richmond Center Stage)

Washington
o Seattle (The Space Needle)
o Tacoma (Murray Morgan Bridge)

Australia
o Sydney (Sydney Opera House & Sydney Harbour Bridge)

Bermuda
o Hamilton (City Hall)

Brazil
o Nova Prata (City Hall)

Canada
o Toronto (CN Tower & City Hall)

France
o Paris (City Hall & Fountains)

Ireland
o Dublin (Convention Center, City Hall)

Netherlands
o Amsterdam (Paradiso)

South Africa
o Cape Town (Table Mountain)

Spain
o Madrid (Puerta de Alcala)

Switzerland
o Geneva (Le Phare des Paquis)

United Kingdom
o England
• London (London Eye, BT Tower, Trafalgar Square Fountain, Alexandra Palace, St. Paul’s Cathedral)
• Manchester (Manchester Town Hall, The Wheel of Manchester, Spinningfields Ice Rink)
o Scotland
• Glasgow (The Glasgow Science Center)

Fortunata, who is HIV-positive, and her HIV-negative daughter, Florida

Every year on December 1, the world marks another anniversary of the global HIV epidemic. This year, as we take time on the ONE Blog to mark the week of World AIDS Day, we see opportunities that make us very optimistic about bringing this epidemic to an end, and an equally long list of challenges to overcome.

Let’s start with the good news: AIDS deaths are declining, new infections are decreasing in some countries and more than 5 million people are alive thanks to life-saving antiretroviral treatment (Check out UNAIDS’ new report for details).

Donors have also responded with historic levels of support, reaching about $8 billion in 2009, and another $8 billion from domestic sources, including governments, businesses and individuals. And there’s more help on the way, with recent good news on a number of new HIV prevention technologies (which we’ll be blogging about tomorrow).

Still, we are really worried about donors stepping away from their commitment to universal access to HIV treatment and prevention. The slow pace of economic recovery in most donor countries, coupled with shifting political energies, signal rough times ahead in keeping the pace up.

In September, we saw the mediocre replenishment of the Global Fund. In Washington, where the biggest checks for AIDS assistance get signed, many advocates are trying to understand the impact of the recent elections on foreign assistance, and while there’s no clear answer, there aren’t many people seeing this as an opportunity to seek bold increases.

So, we have our work cut out for us. On a personal note, even after 20 years of working on AIDS, I’m optimistic about our ability to change the trajectory of the epidemic in fundamental ways, even while being practical about the funding doldrums ahead. Indeed, I don’t think we have the luxury to despair. Many, many lives depend on us sticking to our work and making and re-making the case for increased AIDS funding while pushing to make better use of what’s already being provided.

Let’s commemorate this week of World AIDS Day by remembering those that we’ve lost, taking stock of where we are and finding new ways to be a part of bringing this epidemic to an end!

Check out the site today and read stories from Africa, watch the video on the homepage, even learn how to start your own campaign (including “Water Walks” and the Ride:Well Tour). And don’t forget to share it with others!